Revenge‘s 2012 run comes to a close this Sunday (ABC, 9/8c), and in true Hamptons fashion, it’s going out with a bang — and possibly even a body!

Here, scene-stealer Gabriel Mann chats with TVLine about who’ll soon make an “unceremonious exit” from the addictive drama and what the return of scorned ex Marco means for Nolan and his current ladylove. The fan fave also shares scoop on Revenge‘s much-anticipated 13th episode (airing in early 2013) — an installment bound to be both “shocking” and deadly.

TVLINE | What kind of fun awaits Nolan & Co. in the winter finale?
I hope — in the new world of Season 2 — that Nolan is as fun as last year, because things have taken a decidedly serious turn. [Laughs] It’s been really interesting because it’s the unexplored side of this character and at this point it’s about finding the balance of where these two sides of this personality meet. Just generally there’s a very dark, ominous tone to the season — not that we haven’t always had body counts on the agenda. But as the world of Revenge has expanded into the repercussions of all of Emily’s actions from last year, things get more complicated. As a result, we’ve reached our fingers out into a lot of places and now, as [series creator] Mike Kelley does so well, it’s about taking those things and weaving them back together in a classically Revenge-y way — which has been super, super fun… The last three or four episodes [we’ve shot] are pretty fantastic. From the Nolan perspective, it’s been [discovering] what it means to not have his right-hand [Emily] next to him at all times, and what he does in the interim. It’s been so fun to [see him] get a little bit into the Grayson world with Daniel and where that continues to go.

TVLINE | It seems as though someone might not make it out of this week’s installment alive.
It’s always hard to tell with this show if it’s a permanent exit, but we will see one of our major characters have an unceremonious exit from the Hamptons — and I will not even begin to hint at who that is. [Laughs] Things will get decidedly more complicated with Nolan and his past, and Aiden’s story starts to put some serious question marks in a number of characters’ minds. We will also see the return of a triangle, but maybe with not the same characters that we’ve seen before — that’s not even mentioning Nolan‘s potential triangle.

TVLINE | Talk a little about Marco’s sudden return and what it might mean for Nolan’s relationship with Padma.Nolan doesn’t necessarily have any idea what to do in a situation like that. Quick with a quip as he is, this may be even a little bit too much for him to handle. Though I’d like to think he always has five irons in the fire. [Laughs] He’s used to dealing with psychos one-on-one, but you start to dog-pile him and his reactions take a really interesting turn. I love the concept of a very complicated bisexual love triangle that is unapologetic — and that’s exactly what this is. And dramatically, it’s very fun to play with. It will take an episode or two to figure out some of Marco’s motivations. Their relationship ended in a painful way, so any kind of reemergence would be semi-unwelcome at this point…. The way we are introduced to [Marco’s return], I don’t think we’ll be able to wrap that up in a bow — or if we do it will be a tattered and really messy bow. [Laughs] On the other hand, Nolan feels pleased and maybe a little excited dealing with someone who is looking out for his best interest in Padma’s character. But it’s not going to be easy. It’s actually incredibly complicated with Padma, Nolan and Marco.

TVLINE | I have to ask: Do you see Nolan having a breaking point when it comes to Emily? She’s been increasingly mean to him this season despite all he does for her.
It’s an interesting question because I think it really starts to explore the boundaries of his patience and what his psychology is really about. At this point, everything that his character has done has really been in service to the Clarke family — both David and Emily — even just in terms of his willingness to sacrifice his company to continue to protect her and keep her safe. That said, it is hard to figure out the long game in this. But I would say even up until now, where we are in Season 2, his intentions and affiliations with her are being tested for sure. There’s definitely some jealousy there with Aiden. I mean, Emily’s new friend decided to choke him out upon their first meeting, which is probably not a great introduction for Nolan. [Laughs] To a certain point, I feel like his alliance is still with her.
As to whether that will continue to change, I would expect yes — in fact, I would assume yes. That said, being that he is one of the holders of her secret and has kept his mouth shut for this long is a good indicator that he may be able to keep it shut for a little bit longer. But given some extenuating dramatic circumstances, he may be pushed a little bit when it comes to that issue…

TVLINE |Madeleine Stowe recently told us that more than one person might die when the Amanda goes down in Episode 13. What are your thoughts on the forthcoming game-changer?
I would say that there could be any number of bodies — we certainly have enough established characters at this point. And the Amanda‘s a medium-sized craft, so I think she could handle any number of passengers. [Laughs] It’s actually going to be quite shocking. I have heard the rumors of at least one of the people who may be on that boat and all I can say is that we are in desperate talks to try and change that — even though that person is happy with it because in a sense you have to go big on a show like this. I’m really interested to see how that plays out and who truly does end up on the boat. As I’ve said in interviews before, it could always be me, too! [Laughs] I just want a heads up to mentally and psychologically prepare myself if it is. As of right now, being that Nolan has had too much to deal with in his office and hasn’t spent as much time in the Stowaway, I’m hoping I get to avoid that. But I’m sure Mike could find a way to get me on that boat if he wanted to. [Laughs]